Noel
by auroraziazan
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and things are about to happen that will change some character's lives forever.
1. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

  
  


Remus could tell something was wrong. He had only had one glass of the eggnog earlier, it shouldn't have this much effect. Normally he could do arithmantic calculations on one glass's worth, and no one would know the difference. But tonight, here he was sitting on Sirius's couch with Hermione across from him, and he was reading A Christmas Carol to her as she fell asleep, and it was all he could do to stay sitting down and keep the words tumbling out of his mouth. He had felt peculiar all day, and there had been something at the back of his mind, something he was forgetting.

He stopped reading for a minute to think. She sat up and opened her eyes. "What? Why'd you stop?" She rearranged herself, pulling her numb legs out from underneath her and extending them to the ground.

"No reason. Just taking a bit of a breather."

"You want me to read for a while? I could, I don't mind."

"Sure, why not? I'm on the left page, second paragraph up," he said, handing her the book.

Hermione took the book, and started reading. She didn't do as well with the eggnog, and stumbled over some of the words. She was beginning to flush, and he coaxed her forward over the familiar passages. They were about to meet the ghost of Christmas present when he suddenly stiffened. She didn't notice, and kept on reading. "Come in, and know me better, man." Remus wanted to tell her to stop, to run, to do something except sit there blindly next to him. But he couldn't. His vocal chords were tightening, and he couldn't say anything, and before he could think to move his muscles contracted tightly.

His insides screamed with pain, but his lips wouldn't move. He jerked involuntarily as the bones in his rib cage shattered, and Hermione finally noticed. It only took her a second to realize what was happening, and she was frozen in fear. Lupin was writhing and twitching in agony, and she could see his clothes shredding around him and hair sprouting from his limbs as they changed form. She tried not to look at his face, at the pain and emptiness she could sense was there as the delicate muscles pulled themselves and the nerves all rewired around his smaller head. And suddenly a thought hit her.

'What am I doing here? Any second now, this will stop and he'll kill me, and I'm sitting here watching like it's a practical lesson in lycanthropy!' She sprang from the seat and ran to the front door. She was beginning to hear the first whimpers and echoes of howls from the wolf as she opened it. 'But I can't just leave. I don't have the key, and he'll get out!' She slammed the door shut, locked it, and dashed up the stairs, sliding one hand up the rail to keep from falling.

Downstairs, Moony began to howl. Pain, pain, all over. He knew this pain, and recognized it, but it cut him like this every time. He jumped down off the couch and shook himself. His tight muscles relaxed and he began to explore his surroundings. There was a fire. He backed quickly away from that. The smells. Spicy, at least five distinct spice smells. And maybe egg. Humans. Two males, and one female. The female scent was stronger than the male. She was still here, somewhere close. He ran around the whole ground floor investigating the scent, before he reached the bottom of the stairs. Yes, it was strong here. She must have gone up. He scrambled clumsily up the stairs.

There, just past that, that's where she must be. He threw his head against the pale thing, testing it's strength. It gave easily, but not enough for him to get through. He set his claws against it and scratched an a low spot, and went at it again, hard enough to make a hole. And he kept hitting it, and scratching at it, tearing his way through until he had torn away the bottom of the door. He rushed through the hole, into the room. There she was, crouching in the corner, fresh meat, and smelling so much like blood.

  
  


Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, and Charles Dickens's estate owns A Christmas Carol.

  
  


A/N: Well, here's my Christmas fic, I suppose. It will continue, but I just wanted to get first impressions. Thank you for reading, thank you even more if you review.


	2. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

  
  


Dear Mrs. Weasley,December 15

  
  


Harry and I thank you for the kind offer, but we already have other arrangements over the Christmas holiday. We will be staying with Harry's godfather at his house in France. Enjoy having your house full of children, and have a happy Christmas.

  
  


Love,

Hermione

  
  


Hermione smiled at Pig's antics as she tried to tie the letter to his leg. Really, she thought, Ron out to just tie a pouch on there, it would be easier. But finally, with an owl treat as bribery, she got the note attached and the owl sent off. She hurried back down out of the chilly tower. She really had to get some studying done, the potions and Arithmancy mid-terms were the next day, the last ones before holidays. 

The Weasleys were all gathering at the Burrow, and Mrs. Weasley had been kind to invite them, but they knew it would be over-crowded already. Hermione's parents were taking the holiday as an excuse to go visit somewhere warmer, and had scheduled a visit to a cousin who lived in America. Sirius invited Harry to come stay with him, and when Harry had mentioned that Hermione was going to be stuck alone, Sirius gladly extended the invitation. Dumbledore had helped him get a house in the north of France, the same little town his mother had grown up in. It was going to be a spectacular Christmas.

She made her way back into Gryffindor tower, and set her bag on the floor by the fireplace. She took out her notes, and began going through them in chronological order, made it through, and then mixed them around and tried for alphabetical. She was on her way through ordering them by definitive ingredients when something stuck out and she stopped. She opened her eyes and looked at her notecards again. She sighed in frustration before calling out, "Does anyone have sixth-year Potions notes?"

A chorus of voices called back, "You!"

She rolled her eyes, and made her way across the crowded room, and out into the corridor. There was no way she'd be able to find it in the library. Nothing could be found in the library the week of mid-terms. She tried to take large steps, so she could quickly make her way down the many flights of stairs.

The air got colder the further down she went, and once she reached Snape's Potion lab in the dungeon it must have been below freezing. She shivered under her robes before knocking on the heavy wooden door.

"What is it?" a harsh voice growled back.

"It's me, Professor Snape, Hermione. I just wanted to check something from my notes that didn't seem right, before the test tomorrow."

"You really ought to have done this before now, Miss Granger. Just come in, ask your question, and get back upstairs where you belong."

She opened the door tentatively. "I'm sorry to disturb you, sir. I was just looking over my notes one last time, and I was on November 9th, and you mentioned the Coagulating Concoction, and I have here that you said the main ingredients are Acromantula web and Lethifold tooth."

Snape was beginning to nod perfunctorily, when he looked sharply up, a skeptical expression on his face. "What was that?"

"Acromantula web and Lethifold tooth. But I think I must have been mistaken -"

"And that's the only time the world will hear that out of your mouth, isn't it, Miss Granger? And also the only time the world will hear my agreeing with you. Yes, Miss Granger, you must have been mistaken. Lethifolds don't have teeth, and if they did, we certainly wouldn't go to the trouble of collecting them merely to stop bleeding." His face twisted into a smile and he almost seemed to laugh.

"I know that sir. And it would probably be more trouble than it would be worth to collect the Acromantula web. I was wondering, though, if you'd tell me what that was supposed to say?"

"Plain spider web works satisfactorily, combined with half a dried Billywig sting for the pain, 1/4 Liter of water, and three fantasmagoria seeds. Is that all, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then I trust you'll be more careful about your notes in the future."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry for disturbing you." She turned to leave and was almost at the door when he called out.

"Miss Granger, is it correct you are going to be staying at the residence of Sirius Black over the holiday?"

"Yes, sir. Why are you asking?"

"I believe Remus Lupin is also going to be staying there. Give him this, when you see him. It's a little old, so it has thickened and will need to be injected directly into his veins, but it should do. We would not want to see you or Mr. Potter hurt." He stood up from his desk and grabbed a vial full of a thick purple liquid from a cupboard, along with a hypodermic needle. "You will be sure he gets it, Miss Granger. I trust they have some place to keep him out of the way, but we'd rather be safe than sorry."

She took them carefully from his hand and exited. Yes, she would be sure he got it. It would be nice to get to see Professor Lupin again, though she wasn't sure quite when the full moon hit. She wondered what Sirius was going to do to keep him out of the way, since she and Harry would be there. And then she remembered the notes in her hand, and made her way directly back up to Gryffindor tower, feeling the air warm around her as she ascended.

  
  


Once off the train, Remus Lupin grabbed Hermione's bags and, in a series of trips, Apparated everything away. Lastly he grabbed Harry and Hermione's hands. "Concentrate."

The world spun around them, and the colors began to mix up, until suddenly they were tripping over luggage in a small room that appeared to be some sort of cellar. Remus pulled on the handle of Hermione's trunk, and walked toward the closed door. "Remus Lupin."

The door made a slight buzzing sound, and he walked through it. Harry and Hermione followed the same way. Sirius was waiting on the other side to greet them. "I can't believe you guys are finally home. I've been anxious for weeks!" He pounced on Harry and gave him a friendly, half-wrestling hug. Harry grinned broadly when Sirius released him and turned to Hermione. Sirius took her hand gently and kissed the back of it. "Nice to have you here, Hermione. We'll do our best not to kill each other this time?" She was looking at him oddly, but he winked, and they both laughed.

Remus interrupted them. "If you folks will help me get the bags out of the entryway, we can get the kids settled." Sirius said a quick spell to remove the door, and the guys all trudged in and grabbed pieces of luggage. Sirius led the way up the stairs and around a corner, stopping in a small hallway with two doors.

"Harry, this'll be yours, the one on my right here, and Hermione, yours is just ahead on the left." Hermione ducked ahead to open the doors, and slipped into her room. She wanted to get a good look at it before anyone could see her reaction. It was actually rather nice, even though it had been decorated by men. The walls were a warm cream color, and the pieces of furniture were dark blue fabric and cherry wood. She didn't have time to see more, for the men burst through her open door.

"What do you think?" Harry asked anxiously.

"It's lovely. Did you really decorate it all yourself, Sirius?"

"Not exactly. Some of the rooms were like this already. Some of them got that way by themselves. It's a peculiar thing that tends to happen in wizard buildings. Don't watch them for one second and they take on a life of their own. Especially in France. They are rather touchy about how you do your spells, so if you don't ask them properly they'll hide rooms from you on purpose."

"Sirius, you can give them the history of French villas later," Remus commented, rolling his eyes. "However, this one," he gestured to Harry, "looks in danger of eating his own flesh if we don't get some supper in him soon."

"Right, right. Down, crew!" Sirius called, and began to lead Harry back down the hallway.

"Er, Remus?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"What is it, Hermione?"

"I have something for you, in my trunk."

He looked surprised. "It's not Christmas yet, I don't think."

"No, it's not like that, it's from Professor Snape. It's your potion, just in case."

"Good of him to remember. Do you suppose Albus had something to do with this?"

"I'd bet my exam scores on it. He said, though, since it's not really fresh, you have to sake it intravenously. He sent a pouch of it, and two hypodermics." She knelt down and opened the trunk to get out the package she had wrapped it all in.

"Better than nothing, I suppose," Remus sighed, taking it from her. "Especially with you two here. Wouldn't want nothing to happen, now would we?" He grinned eagerly, and led Hermione back into the hallway. "Let me just go leave this in my room and I'll join you downstairs. I suppose you'll find your way to the kitchen on your own?"

"Sure." She could hear the noise all the way up the stairs. It sounded like there was a war starting in the kitchen. She trotted down the stairs and took a seat at the small table in the kitchen, watching Sirius and Harry expectantly.

  
  
  
  


Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. Or the song from which the title comes.

  
  


Author's note: In case you couldn't tell, this happens before chapter one. And now, after St. Patrick's Day, I have finally uploaded chapter two of my Christmas fic. Huzzah! Tell me what you think of it.


	3. I Am So Glad On Christmas Eve

I Am So Glad On Christmas Eve

  
  


"I take back everything I ever said about your cooking skills, Sirius. That was the best roast I have ever eaten," Remus sighed happily, hooking his hands behind his neck.

"Everything?" Sirius shot back, skeptically. "Even the thing about the eggplant?"

"Okay, not that one. Or the one about the rabbit. But most of them." Sirius began to open his mouth. "Okay, fine, for once you refrained from poisoning anyone. Are you satisfied?"

"Extremely. Now, is everybody ready? We should leave in just a few minutes if we want to arrive fashionably late."

Harry and Hermione looked at him blankly. "Where are we going?" Harry asked quietly.

"Just to the little church down in the village. They always put on something of a show on Christmas Eve. I used to go watch it with my mother when I was growing up."

Remus bit his lip softly. "I'm not sure I'm up to it tonight, Siri. You know I would love to, but it's been a long day and I'm just feeling wiped out."

Sirius's face fell and he whimpered slightly. "Please, Moony? It's been fifteen years since I've seen it, I'd really like you all to come with me."

"No, Padfoot. Not tonight. I'm sorry." He cast his eyes down so he wouldn't have to see Sirius's disappointed expression. "Take the kids. I'll just light a fire, tuck in on the couch, and get some sleep so I can play tomorrow."

"You don't have to stay here by yourself, Remus. I'll stay here to fuss over you, and Sirius and Harry can go spend the evening together. I'm sure they'll have more fun then if they brought me along."

"You're sure, 'Mione?" Harry asked.

'Absolutely. We can't leave Remus here by himself on Christmas Eve. Go, enjoy yourselves."

"You're sure everything will be all right? Remus knows how to contact me if you need anything."

"We'll be fine, Sirius. Just watch out for Harry and be back before dawn." Remus gave Sirius's hand a squeeze, reassuring him.

After a short flurry of coats and scarves, Sirius and Harry disappeared into the entrance door. Hermione stood pensively until she heard the soft pop of his Apparation. "Well then," she began, plopping herself in one corner of the large couch, "what do you feel like doing tonight?"

"Dickens, perhaps?" he asked, still staring at the door. "I know I've at least got a copy of The Christmas Carol in my trunk. Care to read some with me?"

"Oh, I'd love that. I've never read the book, but Mum and Dad took me to see it at the theatre a few years ago."

Remus turned gracefully and propelled himself up the stairs, returning moments later with the book in hand. "Would you like to start, or shall I?"

"Oh, you're welcome to go first," she replied, as he took a seat on the other corner of the couch. "Would you like anything before we start, so we don't have to pause in the middle?"

"A glass of eggnog, I think. Perhaps you should just bring the pitcher of it out here with two glasses. The book is a trifle long."

She pushed herself up and returned a minute later with a heavy jug of creamy eggnog and the requisite glasses. She poured carefully, trying not to spill on the carpet, and set it all down on the little table behind the couch. "All set." She curled her legs up beneath her on the cushion and leaned her head against the back.

  
  


Disclaimer: I don't own the book, or any of the characters. The title, if you hadn't recognized the pattern, is the title of a Christmas song, which I also don't own.

  
  


Author's Note: Sorry this one was so short, but I am really trying to do better on this one. Okay, I know this was really short, but I just had to catch up past and present, and the next one should be out soon, really really really. Chapter four should be in actual chronological order after chapter one. When it comes.

  
  


Green Eyed Lady - Thanks for your honesty. I promise, I will actually get around to the part where the story is progressing soon. I'll try to write some of it today. And I'm glad your are liking my characterizations. And I'm not homicidal just because I like to see you suffer! That only makes me a little sadistic! I'm homicidal for an entirely different set of reasons. And they really only had a little more eggnog than they thought. Mostly, they had had a busy day and were distracted by things. It isn't really in the same universe as TOO was (so you know, because that would be really confusing) but this is part of what I intended to do with that Christmas. I did like the kind of cute fluffy picture of Hermione and Remus on the couch reading. They seem like people who'd be natural reading out loud to each other. Soon we will have the full explanation of what came of that night. And then, things will get interesting.

  
  


warm in fuzzy pink pants - I'm glad you like that. I figured it would get along better if I could bring out the action right from the beginning. My updates aren't really fast, but they come about as often as I can bring them.


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